Getting Started in the Garden: helpful tools
If you’re new to gardening, it can be a bit overwhelming and tempting to spend hundred of dollars on tools, plants, soil, ad fun gadgets. Don’t get us wrong, we love a useful gadget, but also believe starting a garden shouldn’t break the bank and should be as accessible as possible.
Here we’ve listed some tools we truly believe will help your garden experience and save time if that is a limiting factor for you.
Hose Faucet Timer - for scheduled waterings, you can get ones with one outlet or 2 if you have multiple beds with different water needs. It’s not only a time saver but a garden saver when you get busy or forget to water on a hot day. VITAL if you live someplace like Central Texas where you might need to schedule 2 waterings a day to survive the summer heat.
Opinel Knife - Any sharp blade will do, but I really like Opinel. It’s great for easy trimming, pruning, harvesting, opening soil bags, ninja chopping tomato hornworms, etc.
Pruners - Along with a hardy blade, pruners are a great tool for harvesting anything with a hardy stem, or cutting back any vegetable or fruit plants.
Soil Moisture/Ph Reader - Test the moisture, light, and Ph of your soil to know what amendments might be needed either before planting or if you’re noticing your plants are struggling; great for beds and containers.
Liquid Seaweed - My ride or die amendment. A concentrate of seaweed extract that is great for seed starting and transplants as it encourages root development, helps prevent transplant shock, stimulates micro diversity, and strengthens against disease.
Seed/Photo Organizer - Believe it or not, photograph organizers make perfect seed packet organizers as well! Chelsea and I (Hunter) both have these organizers and have them labeled (herbs, summer greens, winter greens, tomatoes, beans, etc.)
Grow Bags - Not ready for a full on garden bed but want to get your hands dirty? Or limited on space? Grow bags are a great alternative. Also great if your lighting situation is tricky or your weather is unpredictable and you want to keep your plants mobile.
Notebook - Whenever I plant anything I like to take notes so I can monitor progress and learn from my mistakes and successes. This habit has saved me many times, since I’ll tend to throw things in the ground and by the time they sprout I can’t remember what the heck it was I planted. It’s also helpful for taking note of things like which varietals had a better yield, what tricks worked against pests, when frost dates were, etc. Obviously you could use any notebook or take notes in your phone, but personally I’m in love with Rite in the Rain for their waterproof paper and pens, since I tend to take notes while my hands are still covered in dirt.
There ya have it. A few things we have found very valuable as gardeners and trust that you will too!
Happy gardening & let’s grow some shit!
-Hunter and Chelsea
